Retails stores of all types make use of gondola shelving, which typically involves a plurality of gondola units comprised of a base, a vertical backboard, and a plurality of horizontal shelves extending outward from the backboard. The gondolas typically are manufactured in standardized widths and heights, such as 48 inches wide by 60 inches high. The gondola shelves typically are provided in a variety of depth dimensions (front to back), in order to accommodate different store layouts and different types of products to be displayed. Typically, the different depths of such shelving vary in standardized increments of two inches.
In order to separate a gondola shelf into different product sections it is a common practice to install one or more dividers, extending from front to back, frequently in conjunction with a fence extending along the front of the shelf. It is desirable that the shelf dividers be capable of easy installation and removal in order to accommodate changes in the product mix on display, which often dictates changes in the sectioning of the shelf.
A problem faced by the store keeper in connection with the above is that shelves of different depth require shelf dividers of corresponding depth. This in turn requires the store keeper to maintain on hand a significant inventory of dividers of various depth dimensions. As can be readily appreciated, this results in significant cost and logistical issues in connection with the organizing and storage of dividers of a variety of different sizes.
Attempts have been made heretofore to provide shelf dividers of adjustable depth, in an effort to avoid the necessity of carrying a large inventory of dividers to accommodate the different shelf depths. Such earlier attempts have not, however, been entirely successful either because of excessive cost or limited functionality, or both. One example is reflected in U.S. Design Pat. No. D664,794, which discloses a divider comprised of telescopically engaged front and back parts, which can, within its limits, be adjusted to fit a shelf of any width. A common form of gondola shelving is constructed of sheet metal and is provided with rows of openings adjacent to the front and back edges of the shelf. The divider of the '794 patent includes elements at the front and back that project downward and can be received in such openings in order to position the divider on the shelf. A hook is provided at the front of the divider for engaging a front fence, to both maintain the divider in a vertical orientation and to assist in the support of the front fence. While the divider of the '794 patent can be functionally effective, it is very costly to manufacture and thus not well suited for widespread adoption in many stores and supermarket chains.
Another attempt to provide a shelf divider with adjustability in its depth is reflected in the Zadak U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,037. This patent discloses a shelf divider formed of front and back sections that are adjustable in increments of one inch within its limits. Each section of the divider is constructed with vertically disposed wires, spaced at one inch intervals, and a clip is mounted on each section to engage and grip a vertical wire of the other section. To adjust the depth of the divider, the two sections are pushed toward each other, in a shortening direction, to disengage the clips from the vertical wires with which they are currently engaged. The two divider parts are then separated and repositioned in a configuration of slightly less depth than desired, and the two parts are then pulled in a lengthening direction to cause the clips to engage a new set of vertical wires with a snap-together action. The assembled divider is designed to be flexed in a vertical plane to enable hooks along the bottom edge thereof to be engaged with openings in the surface of the shelf for securing the divider in position. The divider of the '037 patent has certain shortcomings in the fact that adjustment is incremental and requires disengagement of the clips, separation and repositioning of the two divider parts, and re-engagement of clips. Moreover, although the gondola shelving is widely available in standardized depths, there is less than full standardization in the spacing and positioning of openings in gondola shelving. Accordingly, while an incrementally adjustable shelf divider may be able to accommodate all of the standardized shelf depths within its range of adjustment, a standardized incremental depth adjustment may not enable such a divider to engage with shelf openings which differ from the expected standard of hole spacing.
Thus, there remains a need for an improved shelf divider which is capable of continuous telescopic adjustability within its range, so as to accommodate shelving of various depths and also non-standardized hole spacing where encountered, yet which is inexpensive to manufacture and can be provided to stores and supermarkets on an economically viable cost basis. The present invention satisfies that need.